Platform



F. BENNETT Nov. 17, 1931.

PLATFORM 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 28, 1928 ,r k n 6 w I FranZBenrzeZNOV. 17, 1931. BENNETT 1,832,759

PLATFORM Filed Nov. 28, 1928 2 Shets-Sheet 2 l6 /6 k l7 I6 InvenZ FrankBeryrzZZ Z AiS/q%rfl 6jl} Patented Nov. 17, 1931 o en STATES. PATENT.OFFICE FRANK BENNETT, OI JEN KIN TOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB. 'I'OSTANDARD PBESSED STEEL 00., OF JENKINTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORATION01' PENN- BYLVANIA.

rmrroau' Application filed November 28, 1928. Serial No. 322,431.

One object of my invention is to construct I an improved sheet-metalplatform made of a series of flanged sections.

Another object of the invention is to construct a sectional platformmade up of flangedmetal sections connected together at the edges bychannel members, forming buifers for the platform.

A further object is to firmly connect th supportinv le s to theplatform.

A still fhrt er object of the invention is to so arrange the supportinglegs with respect to each other that an elevating and carrying truck maybe readily inserted under the platform from any one of the four sidesthereof, to move the platform from place to place, thereby increasingthe practical utility and consequently the commercial value of the de-And still another object is to provide a sec tional container which ismounted on the platform.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating my improvedplatform; 7

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2,

Fi 1; I

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4,

Fig. 2;

i g. 5 is a detached perspective view of portlon of one of the sections;

Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of one of the reinforcing sectionswhich are located at the point where the legs join the platform;

Fig. 7 shows a method of making the sections, forming a reinforce whereheavy duty platforms are desired;

Fig. 8 shows a modified form of attaching a leg portion to the platform;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view showing the platform with a sectionalcontainer mounted thereon; I V Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one ofthe sections of a container; and i Fig. 11 is a side elevation of myinvention as applied to a hand truck. 7

Referring to the drawings, the platform 1 is made of a series oftransverse sections 2,

each section being made of sheet-metal bent into Shape as shown in Fi 4and having a flat body portion '3, depen ing side members 4, andinturned flanges 5. These sections are assembled side-by-side andproduce. the platform clearly shown in Fig. 1. This constructiondispenses with the use of any separate transverse girders or othersupports for the sections, as the form of each section is of suflicientrigidity to carry the weight for which the platform is intended.

At each longitudinal edge of the'platform' is a U-shaped buifer member 6of sheet-metal. The lower flange 7 of this buffer member extends underthe ends of the transverse sections 2, while the upper flange 8 extendsover the ends of the sections as clearly shown. This bufl'er membernot'only acts as a buffer for the platform but encloses the ends of thesections.

When desired, the ends of the transverse sections may be bent downslightly as, at 9, so that the upper surface of the flange 8 will be ona line with the upper surface of the said sections; so as to make theplatform smooth throughout its entire width.

10 are the legs which support the platform at any height desired, theselegs being made .of sheet-metal bent into U-shape as shown,

the portions 11 of the legs being inclined and extending into thecorners of one of the sections 2 as shown in Fi 1. The section isreinforced at this point y a U-shaped longitudinal section 12, shownclearly in Fig. 6, having flanges 13. This section 12 extends from oneside of a transverse section to the other as indicated and restson theflanges 5 of said section.

The upper end of each le extends into this channel member as shown inFig. 2 and rests against the body portion of this U-shaped member andnear the corner of the transverse member 2, and is welded to the membersat m and to the flanges 5 at 2,. Fig. 4, while the longitudinal section12 may be welded at y to the underside of one of the transverse sections2. 7

In some instances the lon itudinal member 12 ma be dispensed wit and theportions 11 o the legs may be welded at w and at z to the transversesections as shown in Fig. 8. i

In heavy trucks it is desirable to reinforce the longitudinal edges ofeach transverse sec-. tion and this is accomplished by making the edgesand flanges of double sectlons as shown in ig. 7, the metal bcingbentupon itself as shown in said figure.

When it is desired to use the platform for supporting goods of such anature that they must be confined on the platform, then a sectionalcontainer is used, such as is shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The container 14is made of sheet-metal and bentlas shown in Fig. 10 and secured togetherby a lap joint as at 15. The container may be made in one or moresections as at 14-140-446, Fig.- 9, and each section has a lower flange16 with an extended lip 17 and an upper flange 18, the flange 18 beingsuch that it will fit within the flange 16 as clearly shown in Fig. 9,while the flange 16 is made in such a manner as to fit over the edge ofthe platform, the flanges retaining the sections in line one withanother and with the platform.

Fig. 11 shows a platform in which the supporting legs 10a at one end areequipped with axles 20 on which are rotatably mounted wheels 21. Thelegs 106 at the opposite end of the platform are shortened and providedwith casters 22, the frames 23.of which are pivoted to the underside ofthe. legs 10b.

The invention is also adaptable to trucks of the character shown ,in thecondin applications of Howard T. Hallowel Seria N 0. 182,373, filedApril 9th, 1927 and Serial No. 182,374, filed' April 9th, 1927.

I claim 1. The combination in a platform, of a series of transversemetallic sections, each section having longitudinal sides and inturnedflanges, the sections beingv arranged side-by-side, theito of eachsection near each end being depresse and longitudinal buffer platesU-shaped in cross section and overlapthe inturned flanges of thetransverse platform sections.

FRANK BENNETT.

ping the depressed ends of said transverse I sections, so that the upperflanges of the longitudinal bufier plates will be on the same plane asthe upper surface of the transverse metallic sections of the platform.

2. The combination in a platform, of a series of transverse sections,each section having side walls terminating in inturned lower flanges;short independent U-shaped longitudinal members extendin across certainof the transverse sections, t e ends of'these longitudinal U-shapedmembers extending into the recess between the bodyof the section and itsinturned flanges and leg sections extending into the longitudinalmembers and welded thereto.

3. The combination in. a platform, of a series of transverse sections,each section having side walls terminating in inturned lower 1 shortindependent U-shaped longi-

